Iran hurries to import 20,000 tonnes of newsprint amid newspaper fears of shortage under sanctions

Iran hurries to import 20,000 tonnes of newsprint amid newspaper fears of shortage under sanctions
Ali Khamenei (pictured left, he became supreme leader in 1989) seen in the newspaper office of the daily Ettela'at in 1984. Iran’s newspaper industry is far from keeping up with the online revolution, hence the sudden urgency to buy in big reserves of newsprint as sanctions bite. / Khamenei.ir
By bne IntelliNews August 9, 2018

Iran’s Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade has permitted the quick import of 20,000 tonnes of newsprint to address fears that a shortage might hinder the printing of newspapers, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported on August 8.

The imposition of unilateral US sanctions on the Iranian economy on August 7 is having unintended consequences across various industries. The Iranian news industry still very much relies on printed newspapers to push the lines of the various factions of the Islamic Republic’s ruling elite. The industry has made relatively little use of the internet, with only a few newspapers offering full paid services online. That makes it extra vulnerable to any lack of paper for printing. 

Following the approval of the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade, members of the newspaper industry along with officials from different ministries formed a task force to deal with the lack of newsprint reserves in the country.

After reviewing requests received by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in charge of media in Iran, the group agreed on the immediate importation of 20,000 tonnes of paper and ordered the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to coordinate the ordering and import arrangements.

The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade intends to hasten the import of paper and pulp by abandoning regular import regulations.

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